The AuGmEnTeD Scale

[jazzfingers19]

What is up everyone?

I wanted to pose a question about this scale. While I have done myself good in limiting my "thinking" in scales of late. Some of these systematic symetrical sounds really get me. The diminished....wholetone for example. And are no doubt inevitably going to be though of as scales on the guitar due to the semetrical nature of the axe.

I've noticed confusion in the way people talk about the augmented scale. It is NOT a whole tones scale...but it often is labeled as such. My understanding of it is that it can be thought of as a half step major third repetitive pattern?

So than it becomes how can you use it in imporv....the obvious seem to use it over augmented chords...but how else would you think of the scale in am improvisational context?

Furthermore, and more importantly, where can I turn my ears to to hear it? What tunes have improvisers used it on etc?

I know there is a book out there titled "The Augmented Scale in Jazz" but I can't seem to fing a read out of what it contains.

[EdByrne]

Six Note Symmetric

An interesting pitch collection is the Six Note Symmetric: on C: C, D#, E, G, G#, B, C. It's based on the interval formula of +2nd, semitone, +2nd, semitone, and so on. It can be treated in several ways: 1. Treat all semitones as leading tones, or 2. The opposite, or 3. A mixture of the two.

It's most inside applications would be over either a C+MA7 or Am(7), and as with the Whole Tone pc, it can be used in a variety of other contexts as well. By the way, both pcs (and the Diminished Scale--as well as seven others) are Modes of Limited Transposition, as identified by Oliver Messiaen. (This one has only four transpositions.)

[Acoustic_Green]

What is up everyone?

I wanted to pose a question about this scale. While I have done myself good in limiting my "thinking" in scales of late. Some of these systematic symetrical sounds really get me. The diminished....wholetone for example. And are no doubt inevitably going to be though of as scales on the guitar due to the semetrical nature of the axe.

I've noticed confusion in the way people talk about the augmented scale. It is NOT a whole tones scale...but it often is labeled as such. My understanding of it is that it can be thought of as a half step major third repetitive pattern?

So than it becomes how can you use it in imporv....the obvious seem to use it over augmented chords...but how else would you think of the scale in am improvisational context?

Furthermore, and more importantly, where can I turn my ears to to hear it? What tunes have improvisers used it on etc?

I know there is a book out there titled "The Augmented Scale in Jazz" but I can't seem to fing a read out of what it contains.

One song that comes to mind is Pat Metheny's Bright Size Life.

[Jakeweiser]

it's a very handy scale for playing on Giant Steps. A progression based off Key Centers that if lined up create an Augmented Triad. This scale can fit anywhere in this progression and quite often you hear more modern renditions of this tune, with people trying to get out of the 1235 thing Trane was doing by adding Augmented scales.

It's a cool sound. I like it.

[EdByrne]

it's a very handy scale for playing on Giant Steps. A progression based off Key Centers that if lined up create an Augmented Triad. This scale can fit anywhere in this progression and quite often you hear more modern renditions of this tune, with people trying to get out of the 1235 thing Trane was doing by adding Augmented scales.

It's a cool sound. I like it.


Just today I was practicing this (from top down):

C; B, G#, E, Ab, G, E, C, E; Eb, C, Ab, C; B, etc.

Do this backwards also (in retrograde).

It's a way of using the same pitch collection, only in Major triads, with the chromatics serving as non-harmonic tones.

[Phat Boi]

Thanks again Ed. I'm working that out right now.~pimp:


I have been really getting into octave insertion and trying to master it lately. The augmented, diminished and whole tone scales sound so damn cool like this. Octave insertion with chromatic approach just sounds so damn cool.

[jazzbluescat]

I try to use and "justify" it as the mode starting on the third degree of the jazz minor key/scale.

The C, E, G, Ab seems incomplete. [I'm not even fond of pentatonic scales.] I'll study it in today's practice sessions.

[jazzbluescat]

The "scale" on Eb, G, Bb, B and D turned out to be a nice exercise on tenor. Thanks. :)

[EdByrne]

I try to use and "justify" it as the mode starting on the third degree of the jazz minor key/scale.

The C, E, G, Ab seems incomplete. [I'm not even fond of pentatonic scales.] I'll study it in today's practice sessions.

The scale I was talking about is the Six Note Symmetric, a hexachord, not a pentatonic (five note) scale. You don't need to justify it: Either you like the sound or you don't--as with any vocabulary.